Powdersville High School's potential walkout has been canceled, according to a post shared on the school's Facebook page.

In a statement shared Wednesday evening on Facebook, Powdersville High School principal Chris Ferguson said the school was concerned about both the safety and disruptive nature of a walkout during the school day.

Students at high schools across the country are planning 17-minute walkouts on March 14, the one-month anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, that killed 17.

The walkout on the anniversary will be replaced by group discussions about student concerns, Ferguson said in the statement.

"Instead of a 17-minute walk out, students will participate in a discussion within their classrooms with their teachers and classmates about school safety," Ferguson said in the Facebook statement. "IN THESE CLASSROOM DISCUSSIONS EVERY STUDENT WILL BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS HIS OR HER THOUGHTS ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY."

Teachers will jot down student concerns and ideas regarding school safety to share in a letter to state legislators, and the names of the 17 victims in the Parkland, Florida, school shooting will be read aloud over the intercom system before the school has a moment of silence, Ferguson said in the statement.

"Following this vigil, teachers will finish up discussions, summarize concerns and ideas, and return to classroom instruction as usual," Ferguson said in the statement. "This plan provides tangible results and it gives PVHS a chance to listen to EVERY student."

It was the second statement Powdersville High posted this week about a potential walkout.

On Tuesday, Ferguson posted a statement to dispel a misunderstanding that a potential student walkout on March 14 would have been in protest of current gun control policies.

"The school administration had NOTHING to do with this," Ferguson said in the Facebook post Tuesday. "This event will not be a GUN CONTROL protest organized by the school. In fact, any students involved in the event have been asked to focus on school safety, including increased mental health counselors and increased funding and training for SRO officers, not gun control."

Ferguson also said in Wednesday's statement that schools across the state are trying to figure out the best way to handle possible walkouts.

"PVHS recognizes that students benefit from being able to participate in democracy," he said. "We recognize the right of students to free speech. We are committed to striking a proper balance between student expression and the school’s responsibility to ensure safety and order."

CLOSE

Seniors at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, are rallying their sports teams and after-school clubs to honor their fallen cross-country coach and reclaim Valentine's Day.
USA TODAY

Follow Georgie Silvarole on Twitter @gsilvarole, or send her an email at georgie.silvarole@independentmail.com.